Ballyhoo (Dec 17, 1954) Ontario 'B' District

~

ONTARIO

‘B’

DISTRICT

THIS IS THE MONTH ...

Tradition has it that December MUST be a bad month for
those of us in the business of purveying entertainment
to the masses .o.» Some managers accept that as an ine
violable truth ... sit baek and hopefully await the
arrival of January. After all, people are out shopping,
spending all their cash on gifts and what not ... and

if they aren't too tired by the time they.get home, then
they're broke ... Silly to expect them to take in a
movie ... so why bother?

BUT ... there’s another type of manager <... the
guy who doesn't like bright crimson figures on his
weekly reports any better than we do ... He says "Nuts®
to tradition, and reasons it out thus:

Sure the little lady is all whacked out fron
her shopping spree ... she's just plain fed up. Junior
gets on her nerves ... then-friend hubby comes waltzing
in, hungry as a bear, and she has to placate the innor
man ooo After that the dishes, and she’s had about enough.
Can't stand the old homestead any longer ... Gotta got
out before she goes absolutely nuts ...

And what better place to relax for a couple of
hours than her favourite movie? Makes sense, doesn't it?
So ... Number two manager works twice as hard during

December, slanting all his advertising to appeal to his
femme trade ... Offers added inducements in the way of
a cup of tea for madame ... or some extra little screen
attraction designed to lull her shattered nerves ... Any
one of a dozen gimmicks with which most of us are familiar
through usage over many many years.

So wha’ hoppen? The "Never Say Die" guy has
nothing to worry about ... He knows that business MUST be
better than if he hadn't tried, and if it isn't, it's not

for lack of effort. There's a great deal Pa ris
in that knowledge. g of satisfac

Where do you fit in fella? I know ... but do YOU?
This whole message is wasted if you just throw up your hands
and say ... "Sorry, this is December,"

D.E.K.

THANKS MR. FITZGIBBONS
I have a note from our Boss Man ... commenting on the material I
Sent up with our last issue of BALLYHOO ... and I quete:;

" Dan - this is a wonderful pile ... and I do mean "pile"
of fine merchandising material and effort. Please give your
Group "A" and "BY November winners and these in the Box scores,

& cheer for ma."

Thanks Mr. Fitagibbons ... Your nice comments on our
BALLYHOO, and the job this gang is doing, is one of the things
that keeps us really slugging. Ovr present objective ... More
and bigger "piles" of merchandising evidence with each succeeding
issue.

XoRoKXoKoXeKoXoX
ONLY "X" SHOPPING DAYS LEFT TILL XMAS.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO SELL THOSE "EXTRA
BOOKS OF F.P. TICKETS? ..»
MoKeXReRaXoXRo KoNe
NGW DOORMAN'S LOG
A few days ago you received a note from Dick Geering, and sample
ef the new doerman's log ... Please requisition a supply of the
new forms, and scrap your old ones. Make sure that your doerman
is properly instructed in their use ... and more important ...

that he USES THEM ... regularly, from the time he comes on duty
until he leaves. These forms are his protection ... and YOURS.

XoKoXoRoXeRoAo

CONGRATULATIONS EARL

Earl Gordon, one of ths Lads in Al Troyer's statistical department
is a papa ... for the seascond time, and kinda proud ... The VOW OMES 5
a son - Richard Earl = and a brother for daughter Darleen Ellen,
new seven and a half ... Mrs. Gordon and Junior doing well, thanks,
and Earl ... well, he's taking the bews.

Congratulations to the Gordon clan from ell our BALLYHOO
family ° :

Romo XoMeoKoKoR.s
ALL SET FOR YOUR MIDNIGHT SHOWS ...?
BOXING DAY AND NEW YEAR'S BVE. WHAT*RE
YOU WAITING FOR? ... GET CRACKIN!.,

HokaXotoKoKaKo

COURTESY ZS CONTAGIOUS

I've had seme requests for a staff screening of this subject cco
but a few are still sitting back hoping I'll forget ... Aren't
you interested guys? Let's hear from you eco Toot sweet.

So ..o. hew de you fesal now? ... after studying
the ssore-beard for November. I hepe that you
motieed that sach of the prize winners just
happened to be one of the lads who by some very
strange coincidence took advantage of my offer
of points fer ail BALLYHOO turned in during the
two weeks immediately preeeding the formal start
of our S.0.S. deal ...

Tiaint mo accident, guys ... These who
gust sat and waited for the big stiek te start
swingin! ... are still just sitting and waiting.
I won't menticn any names ... Just take another
gander at the scoreeboard and I'm sure those
nanes will light up like neon tubes ...

These who tried ... and all ef them
have 2a Peputation for consistency ...0 just walked
off with the prizes, which is as it should ba,
However, I want to emphasize again ... the firat
month’s results do not necessarily write finis
to the contest ... There can be a lot of upsete,
and usually ars. Lots ef reom at the top for
all wide-awake showmen ... It's up te YOU, and
no one else, whether or not your name heads the
list for this and subsequent months. I'm sure
Art Cauley isn't just going te sit baek and let
friend Harvey win in a walk ... He's got a few
surprises in store for our Northern dynamo ooo
How about the rest ef you? i

In case I forgot to mention last week,
My very sincere congratulations to the winners,
and those who tried hard snough to wind up in
a "place" spot. Your prizes are on their way.
Hope you like thon,

BEATIN: THOSE OLE "BY DRUMS

I don’t see nothin! in the trade press this week ... nothing
that is, concerning our group of Ballyhooers ... Gould bea -
that they're a little stuck for space at this time of year,

er perhaps you just haven't bothered reporting some of your
activities to them oe.

Be that as it may ... the lade on the trade mags, have
been pretty doggone good to us in the past, and I'm sure that
if you keep feeding them good copy, some of it must wind up in
theire columns ... SO-0-0 ... it'a up to you.

Now I suppose we should get down to business ... and
report our gang’s aetivities during the past week. Ineidentally,
still two abstainers ... our two liveewires up in Timmins .o.
whassa matta guy3 oo. we kinda miss you in these pages, so how
about getting on the active list again?

Otherwise our coverage from this district 18 100% ...
which naturally is as it should be. Keep it up gang ... I'm
sure even if you won't admit it that you're getting just as big
a kick out of this as I am ... huh?

Now Let's get on with the show oo.

TIVOLI - HAMILTON

The Spectator’s "Pick-A-Present" page still featuring a good
sized Tivoli ad, in return for some Oakleys used as customer
bait oo. This will go on through Christmas.

After several postponementa, REAR WINDOW finally hit
the Tiv, and even though the delays killed a pretty faney "Miss
Torse"® contest which Don had in the bag, Beautyland Saion came
through with a cut of Grace Kelly in one of their daily ads.

Don called Jane Baker ... the gal who's taken over
Johnny Robinson's column, and informed her that anyone wearing
a leg cast would be admitted frea during the run of REAR WINDOW.
This item made the head of her column.

The minute Don was advised of the "Grey Cup" footage in
his news he hotfooted it over to C K O © and arranged with the
sports casters to use the item on several of thelr regular daily
newscasts o

PALACE 2 GUELPH

All we have from Herb in the way of newspaper promotion is a
good scene on BEAU BRUMMEL on an off-theatre page ... A doublee
truck he was working on just didn't materialize,

Yorvis Restaurant still handing out hundreds of packs
ef book matches each week .o. with a good Palace ad on the inside
COVER.

ALGOMA = SOO

Both Lis® Style Shop, and the €.P.R. Travel Agency put in good
windows for Norm on his current attraction BETRAYED.

The outer lobby carried an excollent Winter Festival of
Hits display as well as a good display pushing the sale of Books
of F.P. Tickets ... Looks like that's it from Norm this week.

GRANADA = HAMELTON

This week Paul chose SWORD IN THE DESERT es his Ballyhoo picture
and clicked nicely for a swell doal with the Hamilton Arena ...
also wound up with a good window tisa-up contest ... It took a
little doing, and months of missionary work, but the Forum came
through with a five foot banner in a most strategic location oc.
just inside the front doors, where the customers couldn't pessibly
miss 4t ... Since the Forum was headlining the Sugar Ray Robinson
fight, there were plenty of customers. His feature copy tied in
very nicely with the Forum's attraction.

Paul dreamed up a window contest with a local tailoring
shop which drew quite a bit of comment ... In the window ne placed
& glass bowl containing some white sand, with a dagger stuck in
it ... The idea was to guess the weight of the sand, with a few
ducats as prizes ... Good art and copy decorated the window, with
the tailor's copy suggesting that "There was no guesswork when
they measured you for a suit" ...

went for a one week Christmas contest, cffering some 500 prizes
Full windows feature Paul's attractions in cach of the merchant
threa stores,

Howard's Credit Jewellers, a very Ballyhooeminded outfit,
2
3

This was all arranged before Paul knew for sure whether
or not the theatre would be closing down for alterations ... It's
closed now ... wonder what happened to the tiesup ... but if fT
know Paul, the windows are loaded with "Gala Opening" copy oo.
Correct me if I'm wrong, Paul.

CAPITOL = SUDBURY

Jeff had a iittle trouble convincing the local manager of the
Weston Bread Cempany of the value of a theatre tie-up ... but
when he got through with the gent ... he was all smiles and open
to any future propositions.

Banners approximating four by eight feet covered the
full sides of all the company's delivery trusks = which cover all
of Sudbury and district, with copy reading ... "For Tops in Breads
eves Pastries, The HIGH (in Quality) AND THE MIGHTY (Good Bating)

Ss Co

Do I have to tell you what picture Jeff was selling? «-e
This is pretty good Jeff ... but it's only one item ... and JI
i aaa behead had you conditioned by now ,.. Get in there
Oy coo and how about Charlie taking a erack @ plain and
fancy selling? OFe ok ais

ROYAL 2 GUELPH

Ted held an advance screening of WHITE CHRISTMAS for local press,
radio, and civic dignitaries on the Sunday evening before opening.
XY see a nice letter from the Mayor praising the film, and better
still, the deejays at C J 0 ¥ went overboard in saturating the
air with song hits and appropriate theatre credits.

Another good result was an excellent story in the Mercury
on WHITE CHRISTMAS and VistaVision ... also a good two column
scene on opening day.

A terrific full-page with Love’s Appliances was headed,
"Let Love’s Make it a WHITE CHRISTMAS, ete." ... The page featured
press book art and good theatre copy.

Naturally Ted's I SAW deal going strong ... Three good
lesheet displays were planted at three important down town corner
intersections.

GAPTTOL ~ ST. KiT?S

For BLACK WIDOW, Vern had a double six-sheet made into a sandwich
board ... giant size ..- mounted it on a trailer, and had it
touring the city for two days before opening and during his run.

The daily Morning Melodies program still giving Vern
much valuable publicity ... The new Supermarket on the highway
continues to use a display at the entrance.

CAPITOL = GALT

Eddie's I SAW deal still enjoying much popularity in the Evening
Reporter ... Remember, this is a six day a week deal.

All Grey Cabs carried cards in their REAR WINDOWS, plugging
what else ...? maturally the pics of the same name.

© K GR carried good REAR WINDOW piugs on their “Hi Neighber®
program, tying in with a Capitel Quiz. The station also used the
Book Ticket transcription supplied by Eddie.

REGENT = OSHAWA

Along with the ever-popular I SAW contest this week, the Timese
Gazette ran a good scene on PETER PAN ... On an off-theatre page
of course.

Al tied in with the Colgate-Palimolive Company for a free
show for the small fry ... Only one catch ... They had to bring
in a number of PETER PAN soap wrappers. Colgates ran several ada
in the daily, publicizing the deal ... AND ... paid the full cost
of the admissions. This looks to me like an exeellent deal ooo
In addition to their newspaper publicity, Colgates arranged for
large announcement cards in 50 local grocery windows.

1200 Regent December calendars were distributed house-
towhouse by lecal newsboys, and attached to each was a Book Ticket
insert with complete details ... Genosha Hotel and Metropolitan
Store still using gocd attraction displays.

PARAMOUNT - PETERBORO

Art was playing GONE WITH THE WIND ... and he didn't miss very
much in the way of publicity in re-selling this perennial B.O.
nugget to the good citizens of Peterboro and district ...

Gherney's Furniture Store took some nice space in the
Examiner headed ... "GONE WITH THE WIND? ... Not When Your T.¥.
Aerial 4s Installed by Cherney’s ..." cute, what? The Examiner's
Merchant’!9 Christmas Shopping Jamboree page again featured the
Paramount as the only participating theatre ...

A huge crowd jammed the theatre on Saturday ... and over~
£lowed into the street ... Art had to dust off the oid S.R.0.
sign and posted it conspicuously in his box office ... along with
some catchy copy ... The Examiner picked it up and ran a story on
it, along with pics under a banner headline.

Charlotte Credit Jewellers ran a half page ad with an
inch deep headline screaming ... "Your Money is Never G.W.T.W.
When You Shop at Charlotte Jewellers." ... Art arranged with
the Examiner to invite the old folks from all lecal homes for
the aged to be his guests at a showing of G.W.T.W. All were
picked up, driven to the theatre and then back to the homes.

A three column FRONT PAGE phote in the Examiner, with a good
story appeared on the following day. fhe pic showed some of
the folks entering the theatre, with a huge baekground picture
of one of the scenes in G.W.T.W.

A news item in the Examiner’s sports column enrounced
the Grey Cup clips in the Paramount newsreel ... Don’s "Hollywood
Newsreel" still boosting current and coming attractions at the
Paramount, in both the Review and Lakefield News ... Both papers
also ran good items on Art's invitation to the junior hockey
team members to be his guests, and commending Art on his spert=
mindedness.

Good two column scenes in beth weekly papers on G.W.7.W.
and ELEPHANT WALK, which followed it. Nice story on the Pioneer
of the Year award to Jack Arthur, appeared in the Examiner and
the Review.

The T. Eaton Co. ... a toughie to crack ... came through
for Art with a six foot high standee on G.W.?.W. in their large,
front window. Elliott's Drugs placed a nice display board in
their window, and alongside thei» new record bar.

_, is that all Art? ... 3m just kidding fella ... you're
doing fine. Just keep up the good work, and well have that
guy Robert "Q" up in the Northern wilds, sweating a little

eaoqg

SENECA = NZAGARA FALLS
Two, 2-column scenes on 7
pages of the local daily

located in important do
and a couple ef ones,

HE EGYPTIAN, appeared on off-theatre
“welve good-sized displays were
wa town windows, as well as 1 three sheet

eee

ORPHEUM - S00

For her holdover of REAR VINDOW, Olga was successful in arranging
an excellent window in Moore's Music store, featuring the song
"Lisa" which was used as background music throughout the picture,

¢ J I C also plugged the music each night of the hold-over
on their popular "House Party", with plenty of credits for the pic
and theatre. During the recent Y's Men"s Club Radio Auction, Olga.
contributed three Oakleys, for which she received daily plugs for
her attraction,

CUNTURY - HAMILTON

Beautyland Salen ran a 360 line ad in the Spectator, featuring a
cut of Peggi Castle, currently appearing in 99 RIVER STREET, at
the Century.

Mel's free ad in the Hamilton News, on their Christmas
Shopping page, still running, and will continue right through
the holidays.

A new contest has been started in the Review, replacing
Mel"s former coeop ... This full page features a four column star
photo, from one of the Century's attractions ... current or coming,
with title words hidden in co-operating merchants! ads ... Prizes
include 325.00 from the paper, and a few ducats from you know who.
This is to be a weekly feature.

10,000 heralds, and personal letters were mailed to homes
in the city and rural routes on WE WANT A CHILD ... a tricky one
to sell. 50 good locations were covered with window cards ...
Lecal hospitals were contacted and agreed to support the pic.
Incidentally ... business was good.

Mel is still getting plenty ef good, FREE plugs over the
Kresge Corral radio show every Friday night ... On the same night
seme good publicity on the Paul Hanover show originating at the
lecal nitery, Brant Inn.

CAPITOL = WELLAND

When Janet got through trying to track down George's entries she
was really siagzling ... I don't dare repeat what she said ... migh>
sheck some of our more modest readers ... but it was plenty. Hope
my personal letter in our last issue of BALLYHOO bears fruit, and
you'll do like you're supposed to in the future ... Junior. I'm
telling you now ... if you continue to send bits and pieces every
day they're just going to be filed .-. in our circular file. But
lets see what we were able to rescue from the hodge-podge which
reached us during the past week ...

George is still getting plenty of free time over €C HVC
on all current attractions ... His I SAN deal still going strong.
The Tribune even came through with good scenes on offetheatre pages
on GoW,?P.W. and SHCRET OF THE INCAS.

George mentions a terrifi

ific newspaper co-op with P & G
Cleaners, but so far we have been ab

e
unable to find a tear sheet coo

It probably came in, in ene of his daily letters, but we just haven't
time to institute an all-out search ... so my friend, ne visual
evidence o.-» no points. Or, maybe this is the deal mentioned last,
week, for which you were duly credited, You're pretty cute, sen,

but please ... how about mentioning each of your deals only ONCE
during the week it happens.

A veal bang-p window was set up by Provincial Gas, featuring
@ 2h-sheet, n@ less, and colour portraits of the stars of G.W.?.W.
This really was a terrific eye-catcher, Provineial also ran a fine
quarter-page ad headed ... “Your Cooking Worries are GONE WITH THE
WIND ... ete." A scene from the pic is used in the background.

Bight good windows were promoted, using the material
George scrounged from his dad up in Belleville ... The Tribune
carrier boys delivered 2,000 December calendars, and 2,000 goed
teaser circulars on WHITE CHRISTMAS.

As advance for PRINCE VALIANT, George arranged with Martin gs
Dairy to have their drivers attach 2,000 milk bottle collars, on
their rounds. That's abcut it ... but take heed of what wa've had
to say to you Georgie ... if you want full credit for your efforts.

CAPITOL = NORTH BAY

The North Bay Theatre Managers! efferts on behaif of Variety, is
Bob's contribution to our P.R. department. JI won't ga inte the
whole deal ... there's a big serapbook on my desk containing all.
the evidence anyone could pessibly wish ... All I know is that
our industry did much to endear itself to the entire citizenry of
the district through their "Heart" deal. Makes you sort of proud
to be in this business. Congratulations on a terrifie job well
dere, Bob.

CAPITOL = PETERBORO

Weil in advance of the feature HELL & HIGH WATER, Len's Lobby was
alive with havy flags, bunting, banners and good display material
borrowed from the local naval station. A large six sheet display
was firat used in the lobby, then moved to the sidewalk in frent
ef the theatre ... The entire staff wore small banners announcing
the coming of the attraction.

A good window in Tem's Travel Agency, tying in with
VESUVIUS EXPRESS, and another one in Fuller's Drug store. ‘The
Lakefield News “Hidden Names" page still going strong with geod
eaeaes of the Capitol. Scenes in both the Review and Lakefield
OWS.

«XoKoKaKReoReNMa

Well oe. suppose we call it a day now ... This has been a pretty
heetie week, and I don't want to spill over onto another page o«e
Besides I want te get this issue out before the week-end, to clear
the desk for our Christmas issue, So=o0=0 keep sluggin" guys;
and keep our BALLYHOO $.0.8. rolling, ””

D.E.K.